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NEW for 9/4: On Rowen, Senate race, GOP

September 4, 2020 6:19 am·

GwinnettForum  |  Number 20.63  |  Sept. 4, 2020

IMPROVED GARDEN: More than two dozen students and faculty members gathered on a green, grassy plot of land in the center of Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) campus August 29 to bring life back to the school’s microfarm. The area had gone neglected in the months since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the college to move to online instruction during the middle of the spring semester and to a hybrid format for fall semester. The volunteers rolled up their sleeves to pull weeds, clear debris, mow the tall grass and replant eight raised gardens that, if all goes well over the next few months, will overflow with fresh, healthy produce that will be donated to local families in need. 

IN THIS EDITION

TODAY’S FOCUS: Rowen project to be a knowledge community, distinctive for Gwinnett
EEB PERSPECTIVE:Athens professor has forward thinking ideas in Senate race
ANOTHER VIEW: Is Marjorie Greene the future of the GOP in Georgia?  
SPOTLIGHT: E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc.
FEEDBACK: Sees calming and encouraging leadership as the way out of our fears
UPCOMING: County to purchase Lawrenceville water distribution system
NOTABLE: 2020 Northside Hospital Gwinnett Pink 5k to be held virtually
RECOMMENDED: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Oglethorpe places forts strategically along Inland Passage
MYSTERY PHOTO: Agricultural past of the area illustrated by Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Peaceful setting for relaxing and thinking about what’s ahead

TODAY’S FOCUS

Rowen to be distinctive Gwinnett knowledge community

(Editor’s Note: Here’re the details behind Gwinnett County’s approval of bonds to fund a 2,000 acre knowledge community, Rowen, in the northern reaches of Gwinnett, announced last week. This information comes from the public relations firm of Jackson Spalding. –eeb)

By Brian Broderick

AUBURN, Ga.  |  Gwinnett County has announced plans for an independently-led, nearly 2,000-acre knowledge community, Rowen, which will include a combination of offices, research facilities, public spaces and residences, along Georgia Highway 316 just east of Dacula.

Planned to foster the convergence of innovators, ideas and inspiration to tackle the problems of the future, Rowen will bring together public institutions and private industries to share talent, technology and discovery in three focal areas: agricultural, medical and environmental sciences. The networked, walkable community will provide a new way for individuals to live, investigate, collaborate and uncover scientific advancements with the potential to impact lives.

Rowen will be located in the eastern edge of Gwinnett County with over two miles of frontage on each side of Georgia Highway 316 on several large, adjacent parcels of land generally bounded by Georgia Highway 8, the Apalachee River and Williams Farm Road. The location is equidistant from Atlanta, Athens and Gainesville, a short drive from more than 50 Fortune 1000 headquarters and within one hour of more than 50 research and educational institutions.

Charlotte Nash, chair of the Gwinnett County Commissioners, says: “The most important job for leaders is to carefully consider the future of their community. By partnering with our Development Authority and the Rowen Foundation, we can achieve that goal while also preserving and allowing access to some of our community’s most spectacular natural environments.”

The Gwinnett County Development Authority will provide the initial loan to the foundation to purchase the land for $60 million and an additional $10 million for infrastructure.   As the foundation sells land over time, the Development Authority and county will be repaid for their investment. No state subsidies or tax breaks are anticipated. 

Shailendra

Foundation chair is Sachin Shailendra of Atlanta, president of SG Contracting, a Georgia native and Georgia Tech graduate. He is the current chairman of the Board of Regents of Georgia.   Shailendra says: “Preliminary analysis shows we could see 18,500 diverse, quality jobs generated by 2035 from building this new hub for thinkers and entrepreneurs, and that number goes up exponentially as we move toward 2050. But, more importantly, we envision a community that makes game changing discoveries that can shape the direction of the world even as we create opportunities for Georgia’s best and brightest to flourish here at home.”

While the site could accommodate hundreds of large, commercial buildings, the foundation intends to take a different approach, incorporating nature and preserving the beauty of the land’s natural forests and rolling hills within the design of the space, including the preservation of hundreds of acres of greenspace.

The word “rowen” refers to a second growth of grass or hay and symbolizes property that has been carefully cultivated for decades to provide sustenance for those who live there and the community around them. As its name implies, Rowen will be the “second harvest” on this site, bringing forth ideas and innovations that will drive a new economy for generations to come.

The three programmatic drivers for Rowen are rooted in the history of the site and the state: 

  • Medical, in line with Georgia’s history of healthcare innovation and strong healthcare economy; 
  • Environmental, where the unique preservation of the site, its river frontage and proximity to Atlanta allow for research and innovation at diverse scales; and 
  • Agricultural, an industry in which Georgia has long been a giant but in a region where large tracts are quickly disappearing.

EEB PERSPECTIVE

Athens professor has forward thinking ideas in Senate race

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

SEPT. 4, 2020  |  The 2020 election will be unusual, in that Georgians will vote for two U.S. Senators in November. Incumbent David Perdue is running for another six year term, opposed by Democrat John Ossoff. In a distinctive second U.S. Senate race this year, there will be 21 people battling in a “jungle election” to see who will fill the remaining two years  of Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. That means that the winner will probably immediately be running for a full six year term in 2022.

In a “jungle primary,” all candidates for the same elected office, regardless of respective political party, run against each other at once. Political parties do not nominate.  With so many running, it’s nearly impossible for a candidate to secure the election in the first ballot. Only the two top finishers will vie in the runoff election, regardless of party.  (The result could have the top two candidates from the same political party. Probably not, but it’s possible.)

Among those running is a professor of philosophy (on leave) from the University of Georgia, Richard Winfield. He ran for the 10th District Congress seat in 2018. He’s running a campaign with little money, and as are others, having a hard time to get his message across. Below are some of his views.

Winfield

Dr. Winfield has a full-fledged platform of specific programs he is offering the voters. His agenda will please some people, containing many forward and far-sighted ideas. Among the items he’s touting  are:

  • Guaranteed jobs at fair wages for all, starting at $20 an hour. He promotes replacement income for the disabled and retirees, so that unemployment and poverty are eliminated.
  • A “green new deal” on climate change and “Super Medicare” for all, with no premiums, co-pays or deductibles.
  • Paid family leave, free child and elder care and child allowances. This helps balance family work so that no  child lives in poverty.Worker empowerment and collective bargaining. Every multiple-employee company would be required to have union elections and bargaining.
  • Free legal care for all, so that everyone can protect their rights under the law, with public insurance covering legal counsel of a person’s choosing.
  • Broadband for all areas of the country. “This is more important than ever for all to avail themselves of this, with so more remote learning and work at home.”

How will all this be paid for? Dr. Whitfield feels this can be easily paid by the top 10 percent of the people. “The people have the greatest wealth, and can bear the entire burden. And we can get tremendous savings from efficiencies in the drug and health care system, getting rid of the bloated overhead from for-profit health firms, with their bureaucrats and heavy bonuses to their leaders.”  

Winfield feels that “It is not enough to be a great global power. We can make America righteous by fulfilling all our social rights and overcoming every last vestige of racial and gender disadvantage. Let’s make history together this November and secure justice for all.”

  • To learn more, visit Dr. Whitfield’s website: https://www.winfieldforsenate.com.
  • Have a comment?  Send to: elliott@brack.net

ANOTHER VIEW

Is Marjorie Greene the future of the GOP in Georgia?  

By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga.  |  My wife and I both have relatives who currently live or have lived in North Georgia’s Congressional District 14. I once lived close (Bartow County). Their recent Republican primary was between Marjorie Greene and Dr. John Cowan. The electoral results have made national news…and not in a good way. What were these primary voters thinking? 

I have trouble believing District 14 GOP voters could be so delusional as to select a radical, racist conspiracy theorist like Marjorie Greene (who got 57% percent of the vote).  After all,  the alternative was a respected conservative neurosurgeon. Even Georgia GOP Congressmen Jody Hice and Drew Ferguson, both conservatives, supported her opponent!

Let’s go over Greene’s views (gleaned from NPR, Politico, Associated Press and other sources).  Greene is a believer in the discredited far-right fringe group QAnon’s pedophile conspiracy theory. “There’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out, and I think we have the president to do it.”

This factor has received the most national attention, with observers surprised that anyone with such outlandish views could be elected in November. But that’s not the only way-out thing that Greene has done. 

Politico has posted videos of Greene saying Muslims don’t belong in the U..S government and that American Muslims “want to rise above us.” 

She has said that white men “are mistreated” and that males who are African American or Latinex are not doing well due to their “being in gangs and dealing drugs.”  And that they are just “lazy”. Further, she says that African Americans “are held slaves to the Democratic Party” and Confederate monuments are symbols of progress. As for African Americans being held back due to systemic versus personal issues, she said “Guess what? Slavery is over.”  

Greene posted a photo on Facebook with her carrying a rifle, implying that she would shoot protesters. According to Politico, Greene also stated that the bloody Las Vegas shooting awhile back was some sort of plot to do away with the Second Amendment and was in a snapshot with a white power advocate. 

Since the primary, President Trump has loudly praised Greene. Not surprisingly, Rep. Doug Collins and Senator Kelly Loeffler have followed suit.  Others who were critical prior to the primaries chose not to comment, but remain silent, a clear failure in GOP leadership. 

However, prior to the August primary, Greene’s statements were called “inflammatory racist rhetoric” by Karen Handel, the GOP candidate running against Rep. McBath in suburban Atlanta. Plus, a spokesman for GOP House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy had said that McCarthy believes Greene’s views are “appalling.” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), an established right-wing politician, had called Greene’s comments “disgusting and don’t reflect the values of equality and decency that make our country great.” He’s correct; they certainly do not.  

Why can’t the key state and national GOP leadership disavow her now? Do we want her representing Georgia in the next Congress? She seems poised to go, unless reasonable Republicans can disavow her and support the Democratic nominee.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. of Snellville. Founded in the 1920s, ERS was built on Christian beliefs with honesty and integrity leading the way. Specializing in roads, bridges and culverts, its goal is to build a safe and modern highway system while preserving our natural environment. Through quality production and high safety standards, it strives to be the best contractor possible, while continuing to be a positive influence on its employees and the community. 

FEEDBACK

Sees calming, encouraging leadership as way out of fears

Editor, the Forum: 

Worldwide there has been a significant increase in people believing in outlandish conspiracy theories.  I have been confronted with a deluge of Facebook posts in support of QAnon saying, among many things, that Democrats are encouraging child abduction and cannibalism. Other theories suggest a secret organization in our government led by George Soros that is undermining our liberty. Unfortunately, there are many other crazy conspiracy theories on the internet.

 In the psychology literature there is evidence that increased anxiety and fear can lead to unfounded ideas of harm and the belief that this harm is intended by others. Such suspicion and mistrust of others represents a shared paranoia reinforced by socially normative beliefs.  

Elliott Brack’s article states that Trump has, in fact, played the “fear card”. This emphasis on danger has significantly increased the community spread of an underlying mental disorder.  Such community paranoia is easily spread by social media and thus creates a socially normative belief. Add to this fear of COVID-19 and economic disaster, and now you have a conflagration of shared fear and anxiety.

As a former therapist I found the best intervention was to offer calm and positive messages. We, as a society, need calmness and a call to our better nature. We need to realize that the more we fear, the sicker we become. Our country needs a calming and encouraging leadership that overcomes this growing community paranoia. Vote accordingly.

           — Alan Schneiberg, PhD, Sugar Hill 

Looking forward to governmental change…..any change

Editor, the Forum: 

Let me completely agree. With things continuing as they are with all the chaos, nastiness in speech and action, dishonesty and distrust gendered by the current administration, is so much more to be feared than ANY change that might come with the election of a new administration!  

  — Lucy Brady,  Suwanee

Send us your thoughts:  We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum.  Please limit comments to 300 words.  We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length.  Send feedback and letters to:  elliott@brack.net

UPCOMING

County to purchase Lawrenceville water distribution system

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners have approved an intergovernmental agreement to purchase the Lawrenceville Water Distribution System. Under the agreement, Gwinnett County will take ownership of the city of Lawrenceville’s water distribution system on Dec. 1, 2020.

Gwinnett has agreed to make a one-time payment of $400,000 with a guarantee of a minimum of $13.3 million in repairs, replacements, rehabilitation and upgrades to the system over the next 10 years.

Over the next several weeks, city of Lawrenceville water customers will begin to see Gwinnett County employees preparing for the transfer. The County’s contractor, Bermex, will begin reading meters in the city on December 1. Lawrenceville customers can expect to see a welcome packet with more information from the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources in the coming weeks.

As a result of the purchase, Lawrenceville residents will see a slight increase in their monthly water bill. Gwinnett County will use this revenue to replace aging pipes and perform preventive maintenance on the system, which helps ensure the safety of Gwinnett County residents and high-quality drinking water.

Lionheart Theatre continues with new activities 

The Lionheart Theatre Company needs your help to offset the cost of our rent for our theatre space and our expenses as we navigate the challenges of producing live theatre with smaller audiences during the pandemic. If  willing and able, we have two neat ways you can give back to Lionheart:

General Donations: Visit our website to make a donation online to our general theatre fund. You can also donate to our camp fund to support our youth camps and programming.

ONEHOPE Wine Fundraiser: Lionheart has partnered with Napa Valley winery ONEHOPE for a wine fundraiser. For every bottle of wine purchased using our unique ONEHOPE event link, 10 percent of proceeds go back to Lionheart. Check out the event link here.

New projects for the Fall, including:

  • “Pandemania!” – September 11-20, 2020
  • Fall One-Act Festival: Join Lionheart for a one-act festival with a Halloween twist in October 2020.

NOTABLE

2020 Northside Hospital Gwinnett Pink 5k to be virtual

Registration is now open for the 2020 Northside Hospital Paint Gwinnett Pink 5K Walk/Run for Breast Cancer. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be socially distanced and virtual, concluding with a live-streamed award ceremony on Saturday, October 24.

Participants are encouraged to walk or run on their own – in their best running gear or their pajamas. Registration is $35 and includes a long-sleeved T-shirt. All participants will be entered to win overall race awards and other prizes.

Now in its fifth year, Paint Gwinnett Pink is held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and supports breast cancer programs at Northside Hospital Gwinnett and Northside Hospital Duluth. Money raised provides improved access to:

  • Cutting-edge imaging technology for earlier diagnosis.
  • Mammograms.
  • Transportation and other assistance needed for cancer treatments.

The 2020 event honors “Today’s Heroes” – cancer survivors, caregivers, health care providers, volunteers and family members and friends who have walked alongside cancer patients or who have lost loved ones to cancer. 

Jennifer Griffin, oncology physician liaison and co-founder of Paint Gwinnett Pink, says: “Although we are in a pandemic, breast cancer continues to impact lives in our community, the nation and the world. It is our passion and purpose to gather together, virtually, to celebrate survivorship, cheer on those in the middle of their fight, and remember the beautiful lives lost.”

RECOMMENDED

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill:   I resisted reading my book club’s selection for September because I find it so painful to read about racism. Besides, I had seen the movie years ago. Wasn’t that enough? Turns out, it was not. I was delighted to discover that the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is about so much more than racism and a trial. This bittersweet classic focuses on a young girl growing up in the rural South during the Depression and is full of wise adults who teach many lessons to tomboy “Scout” Finch and her brother as they come of age in a complicated society. A multi-layered plot, sweet at first, reveals the cruelty of mankind and loss of innocence and can be read over and over again – each time revealing more wisdom about compassion, morality, integrity and justice. You can listen to this well-loved favorite for free at Librivox (free public domain audiobooks).” 

  • An invitation: what b ooks, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next.  Send to: elliott@brack.net 

GEORGIA TIDBIT

Oglethorpe places forts strategically along Inland Passage

Sincere though General James Oglethorpe may have been about Georgia’s philanthropic rhetoric, he understood that the colony also had a vital military mission to fulfill. Imperial strategy demanded a sturdy settlement to defend South Carolina’s southern flank, both against Spanish Florida and unpredictable Southeastern Indians, and to secure the strategically vital Altamaha River against possible French encroachments from the west. 

Oglethorpe took these responsibilities seriously and, as soon as circumstances allowed, began the work of fortifying Georgia’s coastline in earnest. The decisions he made, for better or worse, shaped the colony’s early history and had much to do with its final southern border.

The establishment of Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island marked the beginning of Oglethorpe’s defensive scheme. His thinking was influenced heavily by Georgia’s maritime geography, which consists of an uninterrupted series of barrier islands running along the coast. They form a natural water route, known as the Inland Passage, which offers protection from the unpredictable weather and harsh conditions of the open sea. 

Long used by Indians traveling in canoes, the calmer waters of the Inland Passage quickly became the preferred route for Europeans as well. Oglethorpe therefore placed his coastal fortifications at key locations on these barrier islands in order to monitor and control access to the Inland Passage.

 On the southern end of St. Simons Island, for instance, he built Fort St. Simon to defend against enemy ships seeking to slip in from the open sea between St. Simons and Jekyll islands. The inlet between Jekyll and Cumberland islands, just southward, was guarded from 1736 until 1742 by a fortress erected on the northern end of Cumberland, named Fort St. Andrews. Still farther south, the inlet between Cumberland and Amelia islands was guarded by a small “scout station” until 1740, when Fort William was constructed on the southern tip of Cumberland Island.

(To be continued)

MYSTERY PHOTO

Agricultural past of the area illustrated by Mystery Photo

Today’s Mystery Photo reminds one of the agricultural heritage of Gwinnett County. Figure out where this photo was taken.  Send your idea to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.

The last mystery photo was just that…..a mystery to all our readers. The photo came from Chuck Paul of Norcross, and is a representation of the Blues Brothers, in Cuttyhunk Island, Mass. Chuck says that the photo “….was taken outside of a home on the island while we were out walking around. Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. A small outpost for the harvesting of sassafras was occupied for a few weeks in 1602, arguably making it the first English settlement in New England. Cuttyhunk is located between Buzzards Bay to the north and Vineyard Sound to the south.” 

LAGNIAPPE

WHAT’S AHEAD? Here’s a peaceful scene that Roving Photographer Frank Sharp captured near the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. Anyone sitting on the bench could be musing of what lies ahead for the train on the northern journey into the unknown.

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© 2020, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.

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Author: GwinnettForum.com is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. We encourage your opinions. Send Feedback to: elliott@brack.net.
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